Maverick Vinales’ Gearbox Issue Costs Him Victory at Portuguese Grand Prix
The Portuguese Grand Prix was full of excitement and drama, with Maverick Vinales of Aprilia Racing Team being one of the top contenders for the win. However, a gear selection issue ultimately cost him the victory and left him disappointed.
Vinales had shown great speed throughout the weekend, winning the sprint race on Saturday and breaking away from the rest of the field in the main race on Sunday. But on lap six, he started to experience problems with his gearbox, specifically between fifth and sixth gear.
As he approached the last lap, Vinales tried to shift into sixth gear but his bike went into neutral, causing him to slow down suddenly. He then tried to shift back into second gear, but when he touched the accelerator, the bike suddenly engaged second gear and he crashed out.
In an interview, Vinales explained, “Well after the uphill on the finish line I tried to put sixth but it didn’t go in. So, the bike goes into neutral and I hit the limiter. I just put out the leg to [warn] Bastianini to understand that I had some problems [and] to go away.”
The issue greatly affected Vinales’ performance on the main straight, causing him to lose 0.2 seconds every lap. Despite this setback, he still managed to show impressive speed and was able to keep up with the leaders.
Vinales expressed his disappointment with the reliability of his bike, stating that it needs to be improved if he wants to fight for victories. However, he also acknowledged the positive aspects of his performance, saying, “After that I think it’s been amazing how when I get the correct balance I can go really fast on this bike.”
He also added, “I thought all the race that I could fight for the victory, just the problem was every time the gearbox got worse and worse. So, every time I was losing more and more on the main straight.”
Despite the disappointment, Vinales remains optimistic and encourages his team to work on improving the reliability of his bike. He also expressed his happiness with his speed and performance, even with the gearbox issue.
In the end, Vinales’ gear selection issue cost him the victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix, but it was still an impressive showing from the Aprilia rider. With continued improvements and reliability, he will surely be a top contender for future races.
